The High Court (HC) on Thursday scrapped another plea for bail filed by BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in Zia Charitable Trust graft case, reports BSS.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq passed the order after going through Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) report on the latest health condition of the BNP chief. While rejecting the bail plea, where Khaleda’s counsels said she needs to be taken to London for further treatment, the court said her treatment is possible at BSMMU Hospital.
“The court in its order said to start her treatment immediately after she gives consent to it. It also said if it is necessary to include more expert physicians in the medical board formed to treat her,” Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) counsel lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told newsmen.
The BSMMU authorities earlier in its report said Begum Khaleda Zia has not given consent to receive advanced treatment as per direction of the medical board formed to treat her. “She is suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and osteoarthritis. All though all the problems are under control but she has not given consent to start advanced treatment for osteoarthritis. She has not even let doctor do the diagnosis for the treatment,” the court quoted the report.
Khaleda’s counsel Advocate Joynul Abedin after that pleaded for time to talk to her client over the matter. But the court set 2pm for passing order, saying why she has not given consent to the advanced treatment is her personal matter. The High Court on February 23 adjourned the hearing till today on BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s bail plea in the case.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq passed the order, asking Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) vice-chancellor to submit latest report on the health of the BNP chief by February 26.
“The High Court has asked the BSMMU authorities to inform it through the report whether Begum Khaleda Zia has agreed to receive advanced treatment as per the recommendations of the medical board, if yes, then whether the treatment has been started yet, if yes, then what is her latest health condition,” Khaleda’s counsel Joynul Abedin told newsmen on the day.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 on October 29, 2018, sentenced BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and three others to seven-year imprisonment each in Zia Charitable Trust graft case. The court also fined them Taka 10 lakh each, in default, have to suffer more six months in jail.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with capital’s Tejgaon Police Station on August 8, 2010, for embezzling Taka 3.15 crore while police on January 16, 2012, filed charge sheet against four including the ex-premier. The other convicts are Khaleda’s former political secretary Haris Chowdhury, the then BIWTA director Ziaul Islam Munna and Monirul Islam Khan, former personal secretary of former Dhaka city mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka. The court framed charges against Khaleda and others in the case on March 19, 2014.